


Fully on Board

by Cantthinkofany0



Category: 9-1-1: Lone Star (TV 2020), Tarlos
Genre: Domestic, Established Relationship, Set after 2x04, after THE PARENTS ENCOUNTER, also after tarlos' convo, what might've happened a while later
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-01
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-13 00:19:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,272
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29767818
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cantthinkofany0/pseuds/Cantthinkofany0
Summary: Set after 2x04What happens when Carlos an TK get an unexpected visit early in the morning?
Relationships: Carlos Reyes/TK Strand
Comments: 2
Kudos: 225





	Fully on Board

**Author's Note:**

> Please forgive any grammar or spelling mistakes.
> 
> I hope you enjoy my take on this story line!
> 
> I would like to say that I haven't personally gone through the experiences that the characters in my story go through, so if there's anything offensive in it, please let me know.  
> Also, i have used a language that I'm not very knowledgeable in (Spanish), so please let me know about any misuse or mistakes.
> 
> lastly, the characters belong to 9-1-1 Lone Star creators, and i do not own any of them, but I do tend to refer to the as my babies.
> 
> please enjoy!

It's been a month since TK finally moved in with Carlos. After getting over the shock of finding out he's going to have a younger sibling, TK decided that for the sake of both his parents and him, he should move out. Of course, the only logical place to move to would be Carlos', who agreed that their relationship did get to the stage of living together. The beginning was rough, as all beginnings are, what with their different habits (TK is messy, he knows that, but really, Carlos didn’t really have to have shoes sorted out by color scheme, did he?). A week or so after the move, they started to get into a more comfortable routine, both of them compromising so that new arrangement will be more pleasant.

It was just another Tuesday morning. TK was woken up from his sleep a while ago, when he felt his boyfriend detach himself from him to go take a shower. Carlos being the early bird woke up more than an hour before hi shift to get ready. TK took his time after that to get up and get ready for the day, and was just now coming downstairs to get his fresh coffee (that he knew Carlos made for him, because he's sweet like that). 

"Morning, babe," TK said as he approached his boyfriend, who was concentrating on making a very delicious looking omelet, already dressed in his so fitting uniform (for which TK was always grateful).  
"Good morning, sleeping beauty," he turned his head just in time to get a good morning kiss from TK. "Your coffee's on the table."  
"Thank you, dear," TK replied in a sing song voice, earning a snort from Carlos.  
Just as he was about to get his first coffee sip, there was a knock on the door. "Can you get that, babe?" Carlos asked, showing his preoccupied hands.  
"Only if you make me one too," TK replied, already making his way to the door.

He was not expecting what, or who, was waiting on the other side of it.

"M-Mr and Mrs Reyes! Good morning!"  
He couldn’t see Carlos but he could feel him turning around in the speed of light the moment he uttered these words.  
"Hello, TJ. Nice to see you again!" Carlos' mother replied.  
"It's TK, mamá. What are you guys doing here?" Carlos, who was already by the door in a few steps, asked.  
"Not being invited in, that’s what we're doing," Carlos' dad commented, jokingly.  
"Sorry, come in, come in. I'm just surprised you're here so early in the morning. Is everything ok?" Carlos asked as he directed them to the couch, while TK headed to the kitchen to bring them something to drink, unaware of the confused look Carlos' parents were giving him.  
"Everything is fine. Your dad just has a doctor's appointment in town later, so we thought we'd drop by for a quick visit."  
"A doctor's appointment? What for? You're not feeling well?" Carlos' concern was obvious in his voice.  
"It's nothing serious. It's just my arm bothering me again," Carlos' dad answered, as his mom continued, "he still won't go to a physical therapist like he should have been," she complained.  
"Dad, you shouldn’t neglect your health, especially if you want to keep your job for a while more," Carlos tried to convince his dad.  
Without even thinking, TK added, "Yes, Mr. Reyes, they're right. After I got shot, physical therapy was one of the things that helped me get back on track and get back to work sooner than later."  
"Ah, dios mio! You were shot?!" Carlos' mother exclaimed, her hands over her heart. "Oh, poor baby!"  
"It's ok, I'm all better now," TK smiled sheepishly, thankful for her concern.  
"That’s good, that’s good," she replied, smiling kindly.  
"So, TK, what are you doing here so early? No more fires to put out?" Carlos' dad joked, not unkindly.  
"Oh, I- I- I actually came to help Carlos to, eh… move some furniture?" he looked desperately at Carlos for help.  
"Oh, that’s so kind of you, love," Carlos' mom said with a smile.  
"Actually, he didn’t." TK looked nervously at Carlos, wondering if this is going where he thought it did. Carlos' next words confirmed that it in fact, did go there.

"Mamá, papá, TK is my boyfriend."

Carlos' parents looked shocked, and TK had to admit he was a little bit, too. Then Carlos reached for his hand and held it tightly as he continued, "TK is my boyfriend and we've been living together for the past month."

There was a silence that seemed to stretch forever, and then Carlos' dad talked.  
"Well, that’s nice…" he awkwardly said. "But don’t you think moving in together only couple of months after getting together is a bit rushed?"  
"What do you mean a couple of months?" Carlos asked, confused.  
"Well, I think your father means is, the last time we met you two, you weren't dating yet, and so quickly you’ve decided to move in together. Not that we have anything against it, it's just a really big step", his mother replied.  
"No, mom, dad. Back then we were already together. We have been for almost a year now. He looked at TK with a small smile as he said that.  
"You have?? Oh, hijo, then why didn’t you say anything then?", his mom asked, clearly surprised.  
"Why didn’t I say anything?" Carlos asked.  
"Yes, of course! You hid the fact that you two were together, that's not fair to TK, I think. Or to us", his mother tried to explain.

"Are you serious? Not fair??" Carlos asked, and TK felt something in the air shift, Carlos' voice losing the calmness it usually possessed.  
"Carlos, baby…" TK tried, in attempt to calm him down. He wasn’t successful, as Carlos' seemed to get even more angry.  
"For more than ten years it has been radio silence from you two about anything related to me coming out, my sexuality, my love life! You have shown ZERO interest in whether I'm in a relationship, if I even have someone I love, or loves me!" Carlos was practically yelling at this point, and TK didn’t see how he can calm him down.  
"Do not raise your voice at us, son." His dad, clearly unsettled, tried to keep his own voice from rising. "You know we accept and support you and your sexuality, we never said anything negative about it-"  
"You never said anything, PERIOD! And I needed you too, for so long! for you to show the slightest interest, so I'd know I don’t have to keep everything to myself, to bury everything inside, to deal with love and heartbreak and my almost-boyfriend lying in a hospital bed, shot and unconscious!" At these words, TK shook. This was what Carlos has been going through. He had no idea the hurt that he felt. It was heartbreaking to see him like that.

He was brought to reality by Carlos' mom silent sobs, as his dad angrily spoke, "Carlos, you need to calm down, you are upsetting your mother!"  
"Well guess what! I'm upset, too! And I have a job to get to, so thank you very much for the visit!" He all but slammed the door as he left the house, leaving his shocked parents and boyfriend behind.

TK didn’t know what he will meet when he came home. After Carlos left that morning, leaving his very shaken parents and a very awkward TK to apologize and accompany them to their car, he tried calling Carlos. But his boyfriend wasn’t answering his calls and at some point just texted him an "I'm fine. Don’t worry. see you at home."

He took a deep breath before unlocking the door, to find Carlos sitting on the couch, staring at the space. He barely noticed TK getting in until TK greeted him, "Hey, babe."  
"Hi," he responded, still seeming a bit dazed. TK dropped his bag by the entrance and went to join his boyfriend on the couch.  
"How are you feeling?" he asked.  
Carlos let out a big sigh. "Stupid. Angry... Sad." TK took his boyfriend's hand, and kissed it.

"I went crazy on them. I can't believe I yelled at my parents like that," Carlos let out a groan, rubbing his face in his free hand. He was so obviously distraught, and TK wished he could somehow help him, take off a little of his burden.  
"You were hurt, it's understandable. I'm sure they'll understand once they calm down."  
"You don’t understand. I've never yelled at my parents like that. I just exploded. I think I really scared my mom."  
TK's heart hurt seeing how upset his boyfriend was. He needed to help, somehow. "Carlos, love. from what you’ve told me about them, they love you very much. You need to give them some time to calm down."

"I'm really sorry you had to see me lose my calm like this. I'm sorry if I upset you."  
TK turned to face Carlos and held both his hands. "The thing that upsets me most is seeing you upset. If there is anything I can do to help I'll do it in a heartbeat. I wish I could do more."  
"You being here is everything I need. Thank you. I love you." TK leaned in to place a gentle yet meaningful kiss on Carlos' lips.  
"I love you too."

It's been a week since the incident, and TK was standing in front of Carlos' parents' door, next to a very anxious Carlos, who was squeezing his hand tightly in one hand, and holding a bouquet of flowers as a peace offering in the other. They have been there for a few moments already, Carlos not seeming to be able to knock on the door. TK brought his hand to his lips, and gave him a reassuring kiss, then raised his other hand and knocked on the door.

It was opened by Carlos' mother, standing there with a small smile and sad eye.  
"Hey, Mrs Reyes," TK offered with a smile. He could hear Carlos' chocked out, "hey, mamá", before Mrs Reyes invited them in. 

They stepped into the living room to see Carlos' dad sitting on the couch, his face hard to read. But what broke TK's heart the most was how Carlos' look was cast down, him barely managing to look his parents in the eye.  
"Talk to them, love", he whispered in his boyfriend's ear. Then he asked for directions to the bathroom, and left them alone. 

Carlos fumbled with his fingers. He was sat on the couch across from his parents, who were exchanging looks with each other. He felt like he was a little boy again, scared to look at his parents of fear of seeing them disappointed. Carlos took a deep breath, then whispered in a small voice, "perdóname, mamá, papá. I'm so sorry… I didn’t…" he could feel his eyes filling up with tears and he wiped at them, then continued. "I didn’t mean to yell at you, I didn't mean to hurt you. I was just so angry, and I couldn't stop myself. I'm so sorry."

"Oh, mi hijo," his mother sobbed. "We're so sorry too. We never meant to make you feel like you are not loved or accepted. We love you, and we always pray for you to be happy. I know we didn’t say anything for so long, and your father and I both regret it. We just didn’t know how." Her face was stained with tears as she reached for Carlos' hands.  
Suddenly, Carlos' dad, turned to him and said, "son, when you told us you were gay, we swore to always support you. But we didn’t know how. So we just kept silent. And the silence kept stretching out, for years. And I admit, it was easier for us this way, but it was also very wrong. Seeing you happy and loved is the best thing that we can wish for. I hope you can forgive us, and we will try to be better." 

They were all crying by the time Carlos' parents pulled him into their arms, his mother whispering "te quiero, mijo" again and again.

There was a knock on the bathroom door, and TK jumped from where he was sat on the edge of the bathtub. He didn’t want to intrude so he just waited until someone will tell him it's ok to come out.  
"TK, can I come in?", he heard his boyfriend on the other side of the door, and he quickly opened it to see Carlos with a tear stained, yet smiling, face. "I take it it went well?" he asked as he wiped his boyfriend's cheeks with his thumbs. Carlos' nod was the most relieving thing he could ask for.  
"Thank you," Carlos whispered as he leaned his forehead against TK's.  
"What for, babe?" TK whispered back.  
"For being here. For being by my side, and helping my gather the courage to do this." TK flashed him a big smile,  
"it was all you, babe. You did it by yourself. I love you."  
Carlos leaned in to kiss him, a firm kiss, full of all the emotions they could both feel. "I love you too. Now let's get out of here, my mom is dying to meet you properly. And I think my dad just want to crack some firefighters jokes on your expense, so prepare yourself."  
As they stepped out of the room, holding hands an giggling, they both knew things are going be ok.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed it!


End file.
